Turtle Garden

» Xiamen, Fu Jian

Turtle Garden Overview & Map Weather Transportation Information

Situated on the southeastern tip of Jimei Town, Fujian Province, Turtle Garden is composed of three parts: the portico, the Monument to Liberation and Tan's Mausoleum. The portico characteristic of the Chinese style is as long as 50 meters going in four directions. With excellent handwritings and gorgeous technique of carving, it is a treasure of Fujian stone carving art.

Mr. Tan Kah-Kee & Turtle Garden

Jimei is the hometown of Mr. Tan Kah-Kee, a famous overseas Chinese leader who devoted himself wholly to education. Jimei Scholl Village was founded by him. Mr. Tan lived frugally all his life. No one can be unmoved when they see how simple these daily necessities and clothing are.

Mr. Tan spent a decade building Sea Turtle Garden, from 1950 to 1960, on the former site of Turtle Head Palace - a small Mazu temple destroyed by the Japanese during WW II. The ever-practical Tan chose this site for his garden and liberation memorial because it would not take up valuable farmland.

What to see

The portico

The Turtle Garden has a delightful display of Hui'an style stone carvings along both sides of the entrance hall. The portico's Chinese style is as long as 50 meters going in four directions. With excellent handwritings and gorgeous technique of carving, it is a treasure of Fujian stone carving art.

The walls on both sides of the corridor have bluestone carvings of 58 pictures relating the lives of historical figures, which is the highlight of 653 carvings in Turtle Garden. The walls outside the portico have 291 carvings of all sorts, of which 229 are relief carvings, 42 are sunken carvings and 20 are shadow carvings. Moreover, there are calligraphy, couplets and inscriptions by famous personages of all kinds of styles, such as Lucida Handwriting, Seal characters, Cursive handwriting, etc.

Jimei Liberation Monument

The garden's centerpiece is the 28-meter high Jimei Liberation Memorial, which has an inscription by Chairman Mao on the front and on the back a calligraphic work that the 78-year-old Mr. Tan spent 3 months writing during the summer of 1952. The memorial's first level is 8-steps representing the 8-year anti-Japanese War. The upper level has 3 steps, for the 3-year Liberation War (1946 - 1949). They are telling the later generations that victories were hard- won and therefore should be cherished.

The foundation of the monument is surrounded by gray jade carvings and relief sculptures polished with great care, embodying a concentrated reflection of exquisite workmanship and a unique style of south Fujian stone carving art.

Mr. Tan Kah-Kee's tomb

Mr. Tan's tomb is behind the Liberation monument. After his death on August 12, 1961, Zhou Enlai took charge of his funeral in Beijing, after which his body was taken on a special train to be buried here in the garden. Tan's tomb is covered with 13 pieces of green granite. It is shaped like a turtle, which symbolizes longevity and immortality; it is also said that Tan admired the turtle's earnestness and down-to-earth spirit. A small wall around the tomb has 15 carvings depicting various scenes in Tan's life.

When to visit

Opening Hours: 8:00a.m. - 8:00p.m.

Attractions around » Xiamen, Fu Jian

Natural Scene

• Gulangyu Island
• Jimei School Village

Historical Site

• Nanputuo Temple
• Hulishan Fortress

Cultural Site

• Turtle Garden

Turtle Garden Highlights

Garden & Park in Great China

• Nanwan Monkey Island
• Summer Palace
• Norbulingka Park
• Tiger Hill
• Yuantouzhu
• Humble Administrator's Garden
• Mt. Lushan
• West Hill
• Diecai Hill
• Fubo Hill
• Elephant Trunk Hill
• Nanshan Cultural Tourism Zone
• Yuexiu Park
• Liuyuan Garden
• Jinshan Temple
• Qingming Riverside Landscape Garden
• Stone Bell Hill
• Tianyi Pavilion
• Eling Park
• Long Island
• Window of the World
• Splendid China
• Seven Star Park
• Yuelu Academy
• Moon Hill
• Luhuitou Park
• Xinglong Tropical Botanical Garden
• Beijing Zoo
• Fragrant Hill
• Duxiu Peak
• Jinshitan Scenic Area
• Dragon Pavilion
• Schoolboy Hill
• Chongqing Zoo
• Wangjiang Park
• Wenshuyuan
• Beihai Park
• Old Summer Palace
• Siberia Tiger Park
• Turtle Garden
• Pagoda Hill
• Yueyang Tower
• Village of Ethnic Culture
• Mural Hill
• Snail Hill
• Yuquan Park
• Liyuan Garden
• Panmen Gate
• Shizilin Garden
• Yuyuan Garden
• Big Banyan Tree
• Grand View Tower
• Xinghai Park
• Merryland World
• Master-of-Nets Garden
• Heyuan Garden
• Geyuan Garden
• Laodong Park
• Grand View Garden
• Shenyang Forest Wild Zoo
• Botanical Garden
• Drum Hill
• White Pagoda Mountain Park
• Five Spring Park
• Waterwheel Park
• Guiyang Forest Park
• Sun Island Park
• Zhaolin Park
• Wenfeng Park
• Hangzhou Botanical Garden
• Guyi Garden
• Green Lake Park
• Canglang Pavilion
• Chakpori Hill
• Water Park
• Jade Buddha Park
• Orchid Pavilion
• Children's Park
• Jade Emperor Pavilion
• Qianling Park

Turtle Garden FAQ & Travelers's Tips

  Weather

1. When is the best time to go?

  Food

1. How about the taste of local food in Xiamen & Wuyishan?

  Other Hints

1. What to note before enjoying the exciting floating along Jiuquxi River?

• When is the best time to go?

  Xiamen has a subtropical monsoon climate and the weather here is mild and rainy.

  The average temperature for the year is about 21 C, the absolutely highest temperature is 38.4 C and lowest is 2 C. As the average annual rainfall here is 1100mm, it abounds mainly from May to July.

  It is a perfect place for you to visit all year round, but as an island, the sunshine here is very strong, so please be ready to do something to avoid sunstroke and the light. For example, things like sunscreen, sun umbrella, and sunhat are musts.

- Top -



• What to note before enjoying the exciting floating along Jiuquxi River?

  Floating along Jiuquxi River is a new-born popular tour, the exciting tour by a bamboo raft to see enchanting sight of exotic peaks and relics along the bank, here are something you need to read.

  1. Before getting on the raft, obey the arrangements of guide on the dock, get on raft in order; after getting on raft, please check whether you have life jacket and read "need-to-know about rafting" to get useful information, as how to keep safety on raft, dial Emergency Hotline and so on. Please don't bring valuables on raft.
  2. During floating, make sure you wear life jacket and obey guidance of raft-rower. Don't take photos on a moving raft, especially around rapids, torrents, sharp bends or curves. Please draw the safety rope to keep your body in balance.
  3. If there is a strong wind or thunder storm during the trip, please obey guidance of raft-rower to stop raft at safety place.
- Top -



• How about the taste of local food in Xiamen & Wuyishan?

  The cuisine of Xiamen mainly focuses on seafood. Taste of other dishes is mild; and chili sauce is a little bit sweet. While, the food of Wuyishan taste mainly savoury.

- Top -